Chair headrest



Oct. 29, 1963 B. L.. slEGAL. ETAL 3,108,837

CHAIR HEADREST original Filed oct. 2 5, 1959 2 sheets-sheet 1 Oct. 29, 1963 B.| .s1EGAL ETAL.y 3,108,837

` CHAIR HEADREST y original Filed om. 23, 1959. Y 2 sheets-sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,168,837 CHAR HEADREST Burton L. Siegai, Chicago, and Harry S. Shuhart,

Evanston, lll., assignors to Emil E. Paidar ompany,

Chicago, 1li., a corporation or" Delaware Continuation of application Ser. No. 848,2d8, Oct. 23,

1959. This application Mar. 28, 1962, Ser. No.

3 Claims. (Ci. 297-222) The present invention relates to improvements in headrests and particularly to an improved chair headrest assembly of the type used in barber chairs.

The present application is a continuation of applicants copending application U.S. Serial No. 848,268, tiled October 23, 1959, now abandoned.

In chair headrest assemblies of the type used on barber chairs a padded or cushioned headrest is adjustably supported on the chair back for providing a support for the chair occupant especially when the chair is in the reclining position. For purposes of appeal and sanitation the headrest is covered by a protective tissue such as paper which is renewed for each successive occupant. For speed and simplicity a supply of paper is carried on the headrest and for each new chair occupant the used strip is torn from the end of the supply and a fresh strip is drawn across the padded headrest.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an improved headrest of the type utilizing a protective covering tissue, which is of a simplified and improved structure for ease of handling and operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved headrest with a roll of paper carried on the rest wherein the paper is more easily drawn forwardly to provide a fresh strip, wherein the used strip is more easily torn from the supply, and wherein a fresh roll is more easily loaded into the headrest.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chair headrest with an improved paper holding spool structure, with an improved paper cutting and holding arrangement, and With improved support structure for a reduction in number of parts used to improve the appearance and reduce the cost of manufacture and assembly.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent with the teaching of the principles of the invention in connection with the disclosure of the preferred embodiment thereof in the specification, claims and drawings, in which:

FlGURE l is a rear elevational view of a headrest assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and

FGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substatitially along line lI-II of FIGURE 1.

As shown on the drawings:

A headrest support slat or arm 4 extends substantially vertically from a supporting chair back in normal operation and is adapted to be received by a rectangular opening in the chair back or in a fitting thereon. The headrest assembly is adjustable in height and the support arm may be provided with a series of holes such as 5 for locking the arm at an adjusted height.

At the upper end of the arm is a headrest cross bar 7 secured to the arm i by bolts 8. Mounted at the ends of the cross bar 7 are end caps or side plates 9 and 1! which with the arm and cross bar provide a simplified rigid compact mount for the operating members of the headrest assembly. The end plates are preferably attractively shaped with a crowned outer surface and with a linishing flange at the edge with the plates plated and/ or polished to provide an aesthetically attractive unit. The plates, for purposes of mounting, having inwardly ex- 391%,837 Patented c't. 29, 1%63 ice tending brackets 11 and 12 which clamp to the ends of the cross bar 7 by bolts 13 and 14.

At the front of the end plates 9 and 1Q is a cushion padded headrest member 15 including a rigid backing member 16 formed of a material such as wood. The bolts 13 and 14 are threaded into nut members such as 17 which are locked against rotation in the wood back 16, thus supporting the headrest member 15 on the cross bar 7. Attached to the back 16 is a padding material 18 such as hair or foam rubber or the like and the padding is covered by a cover 19 of a material such as plastic. The cover 19 is suitably attached such as by cementing or tacked to the back surface of the wood back 16.

In operation a protective tissue is drawn up over the headrest 15 with a fresh strip being drawn across the headrest for each new occupant of the chair with which the headrest is used. The tissue which is preferably of paper is supplied by a paper roll 23 mounted on a mandrel or spool assembly 22. The spool includes a central body or a tube 24 which extends across between the plates 9 and 10 and is accessible from the open back of the plates. The support arm 11 is curved, FIGURE 2, to bring the headrest forwardly and provides a space beneath the curvature for the paper roll 23.

At the ends of the tube 24 are axially extending support lingers 2S and 26 for rotatably supporting the spool and the lingers are removably received by spool supporting recesses 2d and 21 in the side plates 9 and 1li. The finger 26 is a pressure linger and is spring urged axially outwardly. For this purpose the linger 25 has an enlarged piston base 26a which is held within the tube 24 by an end bushing 2S locked within the end of the tube, such as by crimping the tube. r[he bushing 23 has an outwardly extending end iiange 28a providing a stop for positioning the paper roll 23. Within the tube is a coil compression spring 29 which seats against a plug 311 locked within the tube and urges the pressure finger 26 outwardly into its recess 21.

The roll 23 is held relatively snug on the tube 24 by a spring wire roll holding finger 27 which is self biased radially outwardly to engage the inner surface of the roll. An end 27a of the linger is rigidly secured to the tube and the other end extends into a spring wire receiving opening 24a in the tube. The wire finger is bowed outwardly and slides within the opening 2da with the resilient linger holding the paper roll in place.

In loading the machine, the operater will force the end pressure finger 26 inwardly to remove the spool assembly 22, will pull the core of an empty roll oif the spool and insert a fresh roll in its place, and will replace the spool assembly.

The end of the paper from the roll is easily drawn upwardly over the smooth surfaced headrest and during usual operation the lead end of the tissue or paper strip is held beneath a tissue or paper cutter 31 having a straight cutting edge 32 extending across the headrest. The paper cutter has downwardly turned arms 33 and 34 on its ends which are secured to the inner surfaces of the end plates 9 and 1%? by bolts 35 and 36 threaded into the plates. This yoke, consisting of the cutter 31 and the arms 33 and 34, provides a support for a paper holder 37 which is positioned beneath the cutter. The paper holder has downwardly turned ears 39 and it? at its ends provided with holes to pivotally mount the paper holder 37 on a pivot rod 38 which passes through holes in the side arms 33 and 3d and is supported thereby.

The tissue or paper holder 37 has outwardly extending projections 41 and i2 at its side which extend beyond the cutting edge 32 for manually pushing the holder downwardly away from the cutting edge. The projections 41 and 42 also serve to clamp the end of the paper against the cutting edge 32. Between the projections 41 k3 and 42 is a recessed portion which permits the operator to reach beneath the cutter and place his lingers against the surface of the lead end of the paper to draw a succeeding length forwardly when a fresh length is to be drawn across the headrest.

The paper holder 37 is pivotally biased upwardly by torsion springs i3 and d4. l` he torsion springs are carried on the pivot rod 38 and have one arm supportingly positioned in notches @l5 and 46 in the back surface of the wood back 16 of the headrest. The other arm of the spring engages the under surface of the paper holder 37.

For threading a fresh strip of paper into the headrest after a previous roll has been exhausted, the lead end is easily guidable over the upper surface a of the headrest and into a throat t7 which is detined by a downwardly facing llange surface 43 of the cutter and an upwardly facing llat surface 49 of the paper holder 37. The cutter 3i is curved downwardly toward the distal cutting edge 32 so as to guide the paper downwardly while the operator pushes the paper holder 3'7 down to permit the paper to pass beneath the cutting edge 32.

ln operation the operator places the headrest on a chair, reaches beneath the cutter 3i between the projections il and 42 of the holder, pivots the holder downwardly, and pulls a fresh strip of paper across the headrest l5. The holder 37 is released and the soiled end of t ie paper drawn upwardly against the cutting edge 32 to tear it from the supply strip. The fresh strip is convenientry held by 'the holder which bears upwardly against the under surface of the cutter 3l against edge 32.

Thus it will be seen that we have provided an improved headrest assembly which meets the objectives and advantages hereinbefore set forth. The assembly utilizes a minimum number of parts and is inexpensive to manufacture and assemble. The operation of the device is simplified both from the standpoint of drawing a fresh strip of paper across the headrest and from the standpoint of reloading a fresh roll into the headrest. The mechanism utilizes a simple support structure wherein the operating units are carried between end plates which support substantially the full unit on the support arm and cross bar.

The drawings and specification present a detailed disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific forms disclosed, but covers all modifications, changes and alternative constructions and methods falling within the scope of the principles taught by the invention.

We claim as our invention:V

l. A chair headrest assembly comprising a vertical headrest support arm, a cushion member on said support arm for supporting a layer of protective tissue including a backing block secured to the arm and a resilient facing, a pair of side plates mounted at the ends of a cross bar connected to said support arm, said cushion member positioned at the front of said side plates, a tissue cutter having a rigid horizontal cutting edge extending substantially the full width between said side plates at the top of the cushion member and mounted on said side plates, a cross rod between the side plates, a tissue holder positioned beneath the cutter pivotal-.ly mounted on the rod and having upwardly facing ilat surfaces at'the end facing the cutting edge with the center of the holder recessed back of the cutting edge for manually gripping the tissue end beneath the edge, torsion springs supported on the rod engaging the block and urging the holder surfaces against said cutting edge, and a guide throat facing forwardly at the top of said cushion member defined by an upper guide surface on said tissue holder extending a substantial distance beyond the pivotal support for the holder and sloping upwardly toward the cutter and a lower guide surface on said cutter.

2. A chair headrest assembly comprising a vertical headrest support arm, a cushion member on said support arm for supporting a layer of protective tissue including a backing block secured to the arm and a resilient facing, a frame on the arm, a tissue cutter member mounted on said frame extending substantially the full width of the cushion member and having a forward portion and a rearward portieri, said rearward portion having a rigid horizontal cutting edge, said forward portion positioned at the top of the cushion member, a tissue holder positioned beneath the cutter member pivotally mounted on the frame and having a forward portion and a rearward portion, spring means urging said rearward portion of the holder against the cutter member to hold the tissue therebetween, said holder pivotally movable against the bias of the spring means to a threading position wherein the rearward portion of the holder is separated from the cutter member, and a guide throat facing forwardly and located at the top of said cushion member dened by a downwardly facing ange surface on the forward portion of the cutter member and by an upwardly facing guide surfaceon the forward portion of said tissue holder extending a substantial distance beyond the pivotal mounting for the holder and inclined upwardly toward the cutter member, said upwardly facing guide surface positioned below the top of the cushion member and immediately adjacent the rear of the cushion member when said holder is in said threading position whereby a lead end of the tissue will be prevented from passing below the holder and will be guided to a position between the holder and the cutter member.

3. A chair headrest assembly in accordance with claim 2 wherein said frame includes end plates with means for securing the plates to the arm, means on the end plates for supporting a cross pin at the base of the frame for a roll of paper, and means on the end plates for supporting a second cross pin at the top of the frame for pivotally napporting said tissue holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 132,718 Shaw Sept 26, 1876 1,238,278 Dulle Aug. 28, 1917 1,465,876 Spahr Aug. 2l, 1923 1,74( 09l Skidmore Feb. 4, 193() 1,930,867 West Oct. 17, 1933 2,110,827 Daf/kin Mar. 8, 1938 2,158,183 Hascham May 16, 1939 

1. A CHAIR HEADREST ASSEMBLY COMPRISNG A VERTICAL HEADREST SUPPORT ARM, A CUSHION MEMBER ON SAID SUPPORT ARM FOR SUPPORTING A LAYER OF PROJECTING TISSUE INCLUDING A BACKING BLOCK SECURED TO THE ARM AND A RESILIENT FACING, A PAIR OF SIDE PLATES MOUNTED AT THE ENDS OF A CROSS BAR CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORT ARM, SAID CUSHION MEMBER POSITIONED AT THE FRONT OF SAID SIDE PLATES, A TISSUE CUTTER HAVING A RIGID HORIZONTAL CUTTING EDGE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL WIDTH BETWEEN SAID SIDE PLATES AT THE TOP OF THE CUSHION MEMBER AND MOUNTED ON SAID SIDE PLATES, A CROSS ROD BETWEEN THE SIDE PLATES, A TISSUE HOLDER POSITIONED BENEATH THE CUTTER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE ROD AND HAVING UPWARDLY FACING FLAT SURFACES AT THE END FACING THE CUTTING EDGE WITH THE CENTER OF THE HOLDER RECESSED BACK OF THE CUTTING EDGE OF MANUALLY GRIPPING THE TISSUE END BENEATH THE EDGE, TORISON SPRINGS SUPPORTED ON THE ROD ENGAGING THE BLOCK AND URGING THE HOLDER SURFACES AGAINST SAID CUTTING EDGE, AND A GUIDE THROAT FACING FORWARDLY AT THE TOP OF SAID CUSHION MEMBER DEFINED BY AN UPPER GUIDE SURFACE ON SAID TISSUE HOLDER EXTENDING A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE BEYOND THE PIVOTAL SUPPORT FOR THE HOLDER AND SLOPING UPWARDLY TOWARD THE CUTTER AND A LOWER GUIDE SURFACE ON SAID CUTTER. 